COMPARING CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE & FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE.
What Is Conventional Medicine?
Conventional (or “Western”) medicine is the model most people are familiar with. It’s what you typically experience at your primary care provider’s office or in a hospital setting. This system is often focused on:
- Diagnosing illness based on symptoms
- Prescribing medication or treatment to relieve those symptoms
- Referring to specialists as needed
Conventional medicine is effective, especially for acute care, emergencies, and surgical interventions. But when it comes to chronic conditions, it often falls short.
What Is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine takes a root-cause approach to care. Instead of asking, “What medication can we use to treat this symptom?” it asks, “Why is this happening in the first place?”
This approach looks at the whole person—including their lifestyle, environment, genetics, nutrition, sleep, stress levels, and more. Functional medicine is focused on:
- Identifying and treating the root cause of illness
- Preventing disease through lifestyle and nutrition
- Understanding how all systems in the body are connected
- Creating individualized treatment plans based on the patient’s story
At NWIH, we integrate both functional and conventional tools when it makes sense—bridging the best of both worlds.
Who Can Benefit from Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine can be especially helpful for patients dealing with:
• Chronic fatigue or burnout
• Hormone imbalances
• Autoimmune conditions
• Digestive issues (IBS, bloating, etc.)
• Metabolic disorders and weight concerns
• Anxiety, depression, or brain fog
• Long-standing health issues without clear answers
If you’ve been told “your labs are normal” but you still don’t feel well, functional medicine may be exactly what you need.
Why We Offer Functional Medicine at NWIH
At Northwest Integrated Health, we’re passionate about delivering care that sees you as a whole person—not a set of symptoms. Our team of providers blends conventional clinical experience with functional, lifestyle-based care to help you understand your body and feel your best long term.
We believe that real healing happens when we slow down, listen, and get curious.
Ready to Explore Functional Medicine?
If you’re ready to get to the root of what’s holding you back from feeling your best, we’d love to meet you.
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